GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:27
Tenderness and Compassion Come Through Strength
There is a metaphor about a young child who picked up a baby bird that had fallen from its nest. The child placed the bird back, but he had squeezed it so tightly that the bird died. Later, a large, brawny man picked up another baby bird that had fallen. Gently, he placed it back in the nest. The message of this story is clear: it takes training, practice, and great strength to be gentle.
I’ve recently had the opportunity to observe some nurses at work and have been impressed by the gentleness with which they carry out their duties, even with uncooperative patients. The phrase “bedside manner” aptly describes the skill with which these caregivers perform their demanding tasks.
In Mark’s account of Jesus exorcising a demon from a young boy, the demon racked the boy with convulsions, threw him to the ground, and shook him violently. Yet, acquiescing to Jesus’ superior command, the demon left. The boy’s body was so exhausted that he lay motionless. Observers thought he was dead. Then Mark wrote, “But Jesus, taking his hand, lifted him, and he stood up.” (Mark 9:27)
Setting aside the imponderables of this story, the contrast between the malevolent spirit’s treatment of the boy and Jesus’ response is remarkable. Jesus had just demonstrated majestic power, yet he took the boy’s hand and helped him to his feet. This account leaves us with an image of tenderness and compassion. The metaphor of the powerful man gently placing the baby bird back in the nest illustrates that tenderness requires great strength. Mark’s story conveys the same truth: tenderness requires great strength.
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